Garden Grove, CA – On the day of New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary Election, Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen has officially announced his endorsement of Bernie Sanders.

Nguyen, who is running an insurgent campaign for Congress against two better known and more centrist Democrats, released the following statement:

“It’s going to take a political revolution in order to move the United States onto a path toward greater income equality, social justice, and universal access to higher education. Bernie Sanders has the progressive values and political courage that is needed to take on the status quo, and implement bold new policies that will make a real difference in the lives of middle class families. I am proud to announce my endorsement of Bernie Sanders for President, and I look forward to helping him take on the billionaire-class and shake up the balance of power in Washington.”

Born in a UN refugee camp, Bao and his parents emigrated to the United States to escape oppression in communist Vietnam. He grew up in the 46th district and attended public schools in Anaheim, Orange and Garden Grove. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and a Master’s degree from Naropa University, Bao came back to Garden Grove to teach.

Bao was elected Mayor of Garden Grove in 2014. Upon his swearing-in, he became the first directly-elected Vietnamese American Democratic Mayor in the United States. He is the city’s first Vietnamese American and first openly LGBTQ Mayor. Prior to his historic election, he served as member of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education.